Miners who have been on strike in the western Georgian city of Chiatura for 14 days decided to continue protests in Tbilisi, following an offer by their employer to raise their pay by 5%, which the workers have called “insulting”.
The striking miners have announced their intention to launch a hunger strike outside the Parliament building in the capital until their demands are fully met. They said their average monthly salaries stood at $400, making them unable to feed families and meet obligations, while also highlighting safety conditions they have called inadequate.
The miners had demanded a 40% wage increase from Georgian Manganese, the company operating their mines in Chiatura. Their other requests include improvements in safety conditions, better insurance and nutrition, 12-hour shifts, vacations, technology upgrades and curbing of pollution caused by the extraction.
In individual efforts, at least 10 miners went on hunger strike, with two of them sewing their mouths and eyes shut in protests, over the past several days, following unsuccessful negotiations with the company.
